Fire extinguisher discharge head and carrying handle



Sept. 16, 1952 F, B ALLEN 2,610,693

FIRE EXTINGUISHER DISCHARGE HEAD AND CARRfYING HANDLE Filed June 9, 1950 44 to if 13 25 31 Q E 61 Q 7 z z z 6.9 D a JNVENTOR. 54 FRANKB. ALL /v A TTORNEX Patented Sept. 16, 1952 FIRE EXTINGUISHER DISCHARGE HEAD AND CARRYING HANDLE I v Frank B. Allen, Towaco, N. J., assignor to -0- Two Fire Equipment Company, Newark, N. J., a corporation of Delaware Application June 9, 1950, Serial No. 167,220

2 Claims.

guishers and particularly to a discharge head and carrying handle for use on an extinguisher including a container for a fire extinguishing agent adapted to be expelled by a pressurizing medium.

The fire extinguisher containers are charged with a fluid such as water, carbon tetrachloride, dry powder, or other suitable fire extinguishing agent, and are provided with closure means so that the fluid may be released and directed to a point of fire. In using these fire extinguishing agents, it is necessary that means be provided to expel the agent from the extinguisher to the fire. In some prior constructions, a cartridge of high pressure carbon dioxide or nitrogen has been secured within the extinguisher so that the stored fluid pressure medium may be released to pressurize the container to expel the fire extinguishing agent, Other constructions have provided a pyrotechnic cartridge positioned within the container and adapted to be discharged by cap means to provide a pressurizing medium to expel the agent. The discharge of both the gas and pyrotechnic cartridge is generally accomplished by the manipulation of an operating member extending to the exterior of the extinguisher.

It is important that a leakproof seal be provided about the operating means so that the pressure medium will be retained within the container to be fully effective in expelling the contents of the container. In some cases, discharge heads have been provided utilizing a complicated bellows sealing arrangement to prevent the escape of the pressurizing fluid from along the operating member. It has been found that such devices are expensive and and complicated in construction.

The present invention aims to overcome the foregoing difiiculties and disadvantages by providing a combination discharge head and carrying handle for a fire extinguisher incorporating a minimum of parts yet which has a satisfactory seal about the operating member. In accordance with the invention, this is accomplished by providing a combination discharge head and carrying handle utilizing an outwardly extending operating member for the release of the stored fluid pressure medium having packing means adapted to be urged into a tight sealing relationship by the pressure of the released pressure medium.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combination discharge head and carrying handle for a fire extinguisher which is simple and economical in manufacture, efiicient in operation and durable in use.

2 A discharge head in accordance with the in ventionis not only' advantageous in that it is made of a simple and inexpensive construction but in addition it may be readily disassembled for inspection of the parts thereof even by an inexperienced person. Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and from the accompanying drawings which show, by way of examples, embodiments of the invention.

In the drawings: Figure 1 illustrates a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a fire extinguisher incorporating a combination discharge head I and carrying handle made in accordance with the invention. Figure '2 is a View corresponding to Figure 1 of a slightly modified form of construction in accordance with the invention.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown in Figure l a fire extinguisher I0 including a container I I closed by a combination discharge head and carrying handle I2 made in accordance with the invention. Y Y

The container II may be made of any suit able material, such as stainless steel, to withstand the pressure of the expelling agent. An outlet I4 is made adjacent the top thereof to receive an elbow I5, a conventional hose I6 being attached thereto by a fitting II. Any suitable nozzle, not shown, may be attached to the end of the hose I6 to aid in directing the me extinguishing agent to'the fire, the nozzle being fitted with a shut-off valve if desired. I

At the top of the container I I is a filling opening I9 defined by a flange member 20 secured to the wall of the container II by a welded Joint 2I or by other suitable means. The exterior of the flange member 20 is threaded as indicated at 22. The combination discharge head and carrying handle I2 is adapted to be secure'd'to the container II in threaded engagement therewith to close the filling opening I9.

For the transportation of the extinguisher III, and to provide mean-s to easily remove the discharge head, a conventional ring carrying handle 24 is attached to body 25 of the discharge'he'ad I2 by supporting legs 26 preferably qually spaced about the periphery of the ring member and ex tending upwardly from'the top of the discharge head body 25 to provide ample finger space for the engagement of the ring. I

The body 25 of the discharge head has a downwardly depending flange portion 21 on its outer edge threaded internally to engage with the threaded exterior 22 of the container flange member 20. Apertures 29 are provided in the flange portion 21 to provide for the safety release of any pressure in the container I I while the discharge head I 2 is being removed. An annular ring gasket 30 is interposed between the top of the flange member and a shoulder 3| on the underside of the discharge head body to provide a seal for the threaded connection between the downwardly depending portion 21 and the flange member 20.

The extinguisher may be pressurized by a gas or pyrotechnic cartridge or other suitable means such as by the breaking of a frangible acid container. For the purposes of illustration, the pressurization is shown as being accomplished by a stored fluid pressure medium cartridge 32 suitable for the storage of carbon dioxide. In order to provide supporting means for the pressurizing cartridge 32, the discharge head body 25 has a downwardly dependingv tubular portion 34 having a threaded internal surface to engage with a corresponding threaded surface of a closure bushing 35 for the cartridge 32. The closure bushing and cartridge assembly is described and claimed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 137,847, filed January. 10, 1950, and includes the closure bushing 35 threadedly engaged in an outlet opening 35 of the cartridge 32. The bushing 35 has a shoulder 31 about its passage 39 against which is received a metering thimble 40 having an orifice 4! to limit the flow of fluid therethrough. A frangible sealing disc 42 is positioned against the edge of the thimble 48- which acts as a gasket for the disc and the assembly is secured in position by a ring nut 44 in threaded engagement with the inner end wall of the bushing 35. Apertures 45 are made in the downwardly directed portion 34 adjacent the bottom side of the discharge body 25 to provide passages for the release of the fluid from the cartridge- 32.

In order to release the stored fluid pressure medium from the cartridge 32, puncturing means are provided operable from the exterior of the extinguisher preferably by inverting the extinguisher and striking the operating means against a surface such as the ground or floor. 'I'his'is accomplished by providing an upwardly directed hollow extension 46 positioned approximately in the center of the discharge head body 26 and extending upwardly through the ring handle 24.- The extension 46 is made with an apertured partition 41 formed by making a portion of the opening through the extension of reduced diameter. An operating member 59 is positioned within the extension and is made with a downwardly depending portion forming a puncturing member or tip 5| adapted, upon the downward movement of the operating member 50, to puncture the sealing disc 42. The movement of the operating member 59 is controlled by a guideway 52 formed by the lower portion of the-inner wall of the extension 46. In order to provide a leakproof seal between the wall of the guideway 52 and the operating member, an annular packing recess 54 is made about the operating member and an O-ring gasket or packing 55 positioned therein. To actuate the operating member 50, it is made with an upwardly directed portion 56 extending through the end of the extension 46 and terminated in a cap member 57 secured thereto by a pin 59 engaged in aligned openings 63 in the operating and cap members. In order to normally urge the operating member 56 outwardly so that. its

puncturing tip 5| is spaced from the frangible disc 42, a spring 6| is positioned about the extension 56 with its lower end abutting against the partition 41 and its upper end abutting against the under side of the cap 51. In order to provide a guideway for movement of the cap member 51 with respect to the extension 46, the cap member 51 is formed with a pair of spaced downwardly depending annular guiding surfaces 62 and 64 to receive therebetween outer end 65 of the extension 46, the outer end 55 of the extension being made of reduced diameter to provide clearance space between the inner guiding surface E2 and the coil spring 6 I.

In operating an extinguisher I!) having a combination discharge head and carrying handle l2 in accordance with the invention, the extinguisher is inverted and its cap member 51 struck against any suitable surface so as to overcome the action of the spring 6| and move the operating member 50 with its puncturing point 5! inwardly so as to rupture the sealing disc 42. The stored pressure medium in the cartridge 42 is released to pressurize the fire extinguishing agent in the container H and expel it through the outlet opening l4 and hose I The pressure within the container forces the O-ring packing into a leakproof sealing relationship between the guideway 52 and surface of the operating member 50.

Another embodiment of the invention is disclosed in Figure 2 in which practically the same construction is shown excepting that a cap member is provided having a single downwardly depending guiding wall 61 to overlie end 69 of the extension 46. In order to economize in material, the end 89 is made of reduced outer diameter to provide a guiding surface for the guiding wall 61. This construction is advantageous in that the cap member 66 may be fabricated as a stamping if desired. The identical parts of this embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals as in Figure 1.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that a combination discharge head and carrying handle has been provided which is simple and economical in manufacture in that it is made with few parts which may be easily fabricated and which are durable in use.

While the invention has been disclosed and illustrated with specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that other embodiments may be resorted to without departing from the invention, for example, while the packing recess 54 has been shown as made about the wall of the operating member 50, it is obvious that in an alternative construction, a recess might be made in the wall of the guideway 52 to receive the packing 55.

Therefore, the form of the invention set out above should be considered illustrative and not as limiting the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A combination discharge head and carrying handle for a fire extinguisher having a container for a fire extinguishing agent adapted to be expelled by a pressurizing medium releasable from the exterior of the extinguisher, the discharge head comprising a cover member, a ring carrying handle secured to the cover member, an upwardly directed hollow extension projecting upwardly from the top of the cover member through the carrying ring, an apertured partition in the extension passage, an operating member slideably carried in the extension, an upwardly directed portion of the operating member projecting from the extension, 2. cap member for the operating member, means to secure the cap member to the operating member, a spring abutting at one end against the partition and at its other end against the underside of the cap member, the operating member having an an nular recess thereabout, and an O ring packmg in the recess to provide a seal between the operating member and the wall of the extension.

2. A combination discharge head and carrying handle for a fire extinguisher having a container for a fire extinguishing agent adapted to t.

be expelled upon the release of fluid pressure from a stored fluid pressure medium cartridge, the discharge head comprising a cover member having a downwardly extending flange to engage a container, a ring carrying handle, supporting legs to position the carrying ring above the cover member, an upwardly directedhollow extension projecting upwardly from the top of the cover member through the center of the carrying ring, an apertured partition in the extension passage defining a spring recess on its upper side and x a guiding recess on its lower side, an operating member sildeably carried in the passage and wall of the guiding recess.

having its body portion of one diameter to fit in the guiding recess, an upwardly directed, portion of the operating member of smaller diameter projecting from the top of the extension, a cap member for the end of the operating member extension, a pin extending through aligned apertures in the operating rod extension and the cap member to hold said members together, a spring abutting at one end against the apertured part1- tion and at its other end against the underside of the cap member, the operating member having an annular packing recess thereabout, and an O ring packing in the packing recess to provide a seal between the operating member and the FRANK B. ALLEN.

REFERENCES CITED 7 The rollowing references are of record in the 

